Date of Award
4-1996
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Geological and Environmental Sciences
Department
Geosciences
First Advisor
Dr. Alan E. Kehew
Second Advisor
Dr. Duane Hampton
Third Advisor
Dr. Thomas Straw
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
A study of the ground-water chemistry and flow direction adjacent to a wetland was performed in a major hog producing area. Nested piezometers, consisting of wells 7 to 18 feet deep, were installed around the wetland to determine the vertical distribution of hydraulic head and water-quality parameters. Piezometer elevations were surveyed to determine precise ground-water elevations to delineate the ground-water flow regime around the wetland. Water samples were taken at three different times to analyze water quality and seasonal variations. Analytical parameters included major ions, redox sensitive parameters (DO, nitrate-N, ammonia, iron, and sulfate), and total organic carbon.
Water level data indicate that the ground-water flow direction is generally to the north in the wetland area. The head gradients in the individual well nests are not large enough to determine whether the wetland is a ground-water discharge or recharge area in those locations. However, the surface water and ground-water chemistry results show that the wetland functions primarily as a recharge system. The chemical trends in the ground-water are consistent with recharge from the wetland through a reducing, organic-rich muck layer at the base of the wetland.
Recommended Citation
Anderson, Lisa Marie, "A Study of the Chemical and Physical Interactions Between a Wetland and a Shallow Aquifer in Cass County, Michigan" (1996). Masters Theses. 3951.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/3951